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Thursday, April 2, 2009

A DAY IN THE PARK: THE LAST DAYS OF THE SAINT LAURENT RETROSPECTIVE

"If you want the dress to be not only a dress ... you need an artist," said Pierre Berge, Laurent's longtime partner and one of the people behind the retrospective which opened at San Francisco's de Young museum this month.

Golden Gate Park is home to the newly revamped De Young Museum. My design chum Charlotte Chen (Dysfunctional Bamboo.com) flew up from LA on Tuesday just so we could get a peek at the much-buzzed about Yves Saint Laurent Exhibit before it gets packed up and leaves The De Young in San Francisco. What a treat! I've long been familiar with Saint Laurent's Collections as back in the early eighties my mother got me the book, Yves Saint Laurent put out by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. However, till now I've never seen his pieces for real and up close. A few of the gowns in this collection designed since then were unfamiliar, like this great wedding gown below. Yes! This is indeed a wedding gown made up of silk florals.

My personal favorites were not the wedding gowns but cocktail garb. I fell in love with a black pantsuit (above) so beautifully tailored it had all the characteristics of soft sculpture; the other was an Audrey Hepburnesque little black cocktail dress with a black racer-back bodice and ruched skirt. What I found particularly touching was Saint Laurent clients like Comtesse De Ribes donated back to the collection a gorgeous Black pique embroidered evening gown.

Overall the exhibit is a collection of 40 years of creation produced by Yves Saint Laurent Maison Haute Couture. Saint Laurent's claim to fame will always be his fusion of fashion with with pop culture, literature, and changing times. He found inspiration in everything from Wagner to ZiziJeanmarie; Maria Callas to Mondrian. YSL is a one I could truly call a real Renaissance Man . . .

If you're lucky to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can still catch this show. It runs through April 5.

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About Me

I initially created this space for my clients. Eventually brides looking for that touch of wow found their way here. Draping and playing with fabric started some twenty years back when I did a three-year stint as a bridal fabrics buyer. After that I opened Bridal Alternatives, a custom design studio and ever since have had the opportunity of working with brides who want that extraordinary one-of-a-kind dress. I'm in love with fashion history and re-invention of the past.
Other connections to fashion? I’ve been a columnist for San Francisco Art and Fashion News and have a weekly fashion buzz on One Wed Blog. I founded The Design Project of San Francisco, a networking organization of fashion professionals collaborating their skills and talents on projects. I’m currently working on a book called—you guessed it—'Bride Chic', all about that white gown and very special designer/client relationship. I live with my husband Edgar and Chihuahua Piccalina in Marin County California.
Want to see more of what I do? Check out my site at www.amyjotatum.com or call me 415.258.8204

DISCLAIMER

Please note some images on Bride Chic are photos from previous shoots and editorials of my collection pieces. Since I do admire other designers work, I’ve also added from online sources to share a different perspective. There’s no profit from the display of these photos -- they are being shown for the informational and educational benefit of brides and aficionados of bridal fashion. I always list my source, providing a link back. If you feel an image here violates your intellectual property and/or copyrights, please email your concerns to me (amyjotatum@gmail.com) and I will gladly remove the photos in question. Thank you!

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